http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/ en Copyright 2008 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:07:55 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Just wanted to take a minute to let you know about the new social networking features we recently launched on washingtonpost.com. The new suite of features includes personalized pages for each registered user, new discussion groups and improved comments software. The personalized MyPost pages, at this point, allow for readers to upload an image, publish biographical information, track discussion groups they're a part of and keep a friend list. It will also aggregate all comments a reader leaves on washingtonpost.com articles. The goal is to keep adding personalization options to these pages so that readers can set up de facto home pages for themselves if they choose. Additionally, these pages can serve as a starting point for direct interaction among readers. For example, here's my page. Another cool feature of MyPost are discussion groups, where readers can join a community of interest around a certain topic. So far, we've rolled http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/08/mypost_launch.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/08/mypost_launch.html Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:07:55 -0500 When you comment on a washingtonpost.com article or column, or participate in one of our moderated discussion groups, your contributions to the site will be collected on your individual MyPost page. Our goal is to provide you with a home base on the site, a page where you'll be able to both share and track your thoughts over time. When you post a comment to an article or discussion group, you'll be able to get to your MyPost page by clicking on your MyPost ID just above the comment or by clicking on your ID where it appears in the top left corner of the washingtonpost.com home page. Other readers will be able to browse to your MyPost page from your comments and, once there, view what you've had to say or ask to message you by sending a "friend request". You'll see those requests on your page -- they http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/08/mypost_launches.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/08/mypost_launches.html Content Wed, 22 Aug 2007 07:00:00 -0500 We've launched three new discussion groups - Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, E.J.'s Precinct and Admissions 101. Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood, moderated by Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson, will focus on the intersection of race, culture and politics. "Our conversations will grow out of the news, and we'll have several in progress at any given time. One might be about some twist or turn in the presidential campaign, one might be about the Meaning of Hillary or the Meaning of Obama ...and one about the justice or injustice of American Idol," Robinson explains. E.J. Dionne Jr., a columnist for The Post, and Alex Remington, an editorial assistant at The Post, will lead a discussion of partisan politics, economic inequality and faith issues in E.J.'s Precinct. The Precinct is "a place where you chat about any kind of politics that interests you, argue about policy, talk back to the media and converse with people http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/three_new_discussion_groups_la.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/three_new_discussion_groups_la.html Wed, 23 May 2007 12:42:58 -0500 Starting today, PostGlobal's Amar C. Bakshi will explore what people around the world really think about America. With a laptop and video camera, he'll report from the stands of Manchester United's stadium to a Pakistan Army training ground to a Bollywood sound stage, and post what he finds in "How the World Sees America" Readers are invited to comment on Bakshi's blog entries and video clips, and help guide him to new destinations and communities as the project unfolds. His first set of posts will focus on how America is viewed in the United Kingdom. Bakshi arrived in Manchester, Britain's third largest urban area, on Monday, May 14, to talk to the city's students, working class residents and members of its sizeable Muslim population. He will then move on to Oxford, Lancaster and London. The next stop after the UK will be Pakistan, which Bakshi's mother's family left in 1947. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/postglobal_launches_how_the_wo.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/postglobal_launches_how_the_wo.html Content Wed, 16 May 2007 09:34:06 -0500 We've launched two discussion groups -- The Carpool and Trendspotter & Co. We hope the first will help Washington area commuters get from point A to point B safely, and as quickly as possible. We look for the second to offer fashion advice and useful shopping tips to those in need of either. Washington Post Assistant Virginia Editor Steven Ginsberg will moderate The Carpool by offering quick takes on commuter issues and posing questions for group participants three to five times a week. Suzanne D'Amato, The Post's Sunday Source fashion editor, will host Trendspotter and Co. Both expect washingtonpost.com readers to do most of the heavy lifting by contributing ideas and advice to the group discussion threads. "We know what you're going through," says Ginsberg. "Together, maybe, just maybe, we'll make some sense out of commuting in modern day Washington." D'Amato encourages readers to debate what will be in fashion http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/online_discussion_groups_launc.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/05/online_discussion_groups_launc.html Content Mon, 07 May 2007 19:15:00 -0500 Just wanted to send out an update on our new home page after reading through the thousands of the e-mails and comments you've contributed over the past week. Now, we're ready to talk about changes we've already made or are planning to make to the page in the coming days and weeks. Discussions The most common complaint we received was that we've hidden our discussions. Ironically, we've actually moved it higher up on the home page because it's such a popular feature on the site. (If you haven't seen it, there's a Discussions box on the upper left side of the home page, right under the Opinions box). The bigger issue for readers seems to be the removal of the full discussion schedule from the home page. That decision was made to save space to allow us to move Discussions up higher. However, to provide easier access to the full http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/04/update_on_new_home_page.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/04/update_on_new_home_page.html Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:11:07 -0500 For many in this town, a BlackBerry is your tether to the workplace. But we're happy to announce a reason to let it help you make the most of your free time, too. We've launched a beta version of the City Guide wireless site at mobile.washingtonpost.com/cityguide, so you can use your Sidekick or Web-enabled cell phone to find reviews for local restaurants, bars and movies. Like the City Guide, you can search by neighborhood, city or zip code, or you can browse by what's been recently reviewed, among other options. When you're out, you can get more than movie showtimes and addresses; you can see what Stephen Hunter thought of a certain film, get the scoop from Tom Sietsema on a place perfect for a downtown lunch or pick out a new bar near Gallery Place recommended by the Going Out Gurus. Like the City Guide to Go tool, our http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/04/reviews_on_the_go.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/04/reviews_on_the_go.html Content Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:54:37 -0500 To our readers, Welcome to our new home page. I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about some of the key changes, and the thinking behind it. One of the most frequent complaints about our previous home page was clutter, specifically the number of links and lack of open space on the page. In this new page, we've added more white space and cut down the number of long lists of text links. The hope is that these changes give the page more of an open, inviting feel and make it easier to scan. We've also moved to a more modular layout to make it easier to find your favorite home page features. To better highlight our award-winning video and photo content, we've added a multimedia strip to the page. This band will be comprised of videos, photos and interactives, and by using the scroll arrows or http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/editors_note_about_our_new_hom.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/editors_note_about_our_new_hom.html Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:57:21 -0500 For 51 seconds on Thursday afternoon, washingtonpost.com had an erroneous headline on our home page related to the John Edwards press conference. The headline said, "John Edwards Suspends White House Bid." I wanted to explain how that occurred, and discuss an error I made after we found out what had happened. As we waited for the press conference to begin, our home page editor was planning a new home page that would be published quickly upon learning the status of the Edwards campaign after the anticipated revelation that Elizabeth Edwards's breast cancer had recurred. As is the standard process when we're trying to prepare for multiple scenarios, we plugged a headline into our home page tool that we believed to be the most likely scenario. As you can see from this screen shot of the inaccurate page, the text underneath the headline said, "Democratic presidential hopeful cuts short bid to http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/edwards_headline_issue.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/edwards_headline_issue.html Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:05:47 -0500 Are you scrounging through your refrigerator at the last minute for meal ideas? Maybe you're planning a dinner party? We've come to the rescue with just the thing to help. Washingtonpost.com's new Recipe Finder lets users search a growing database of more than 1,000 recipes that have appeared in The Washington Post newspaper and on washingtonpost.com. Recipe Finder lets home cooks search for dishes by features such as Fast, Healthy, Meatless and Kid-Friendly as well as by course, cuisine and holiday. You can also just type in your desired ingredients or recipe name, click "Go" and explore. Once you find recipes you like, you can print them and e-mail them to friends. Nearly every recipe has full nutritional information and many have accompanying photos. Recipe Finder will grow each week with new recipes and new features. So, come back often and happy cooking! Stacey Palosky, Lifestyles Editor http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/recipe_finder_launches.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/03/recipe_finder_launches.html Content Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:07:31 -0500 Don't want to be blindsided by an editorial in the New York Times? Interested in who George Will is taking aim at today? If you are -- but don't have time to read the opinion pages of the nation's biggest newspapers -- then The Editorialist is for you. The new blog by Rob Anderson in washingtonpost.com's Opinions area will summarize editorials and columns from leading newspapers each weekday by 7 a.m., then follow up with weekly or occasional roundups of commentary in other types of publications, from opinion magazines to the college press. "I'll be reading each weekday's op-ed pages so you don't have to," says Anderson, who grew up in Detroit, attended Georgetown University and, most recently, helped edit and produce The New Republic's Internet site. Anderson promises a "CliffsNotes version of who's saying what," and will also produce a weekdaily e-mail of The Editorialist, which will debut next http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/editorial_round_up_launches.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/editorial_round_up_launches.html Journalism Thu, 15 Feb 2007 07:07:49 -0500 Users of mobile phones and other wireless devices can now choose from several new services provided by washingtonpost.com. First among them are free news alerts, which provide instant access to the latest and most important headlines of local, national and global interest. Two are currently available: The News Alert, which covers national and global topics. To subscribe, from you cell phone text the word NEWS to 97678 (WPOST). The D.C. Area Alert. Subscribers will receive this alert, which covers top Washington, D.C.-area news stories, as well as the News alert. To subscribe, from your cell phone text the word LOCAL to 97678 (WPOST). To unsubscribe from either alert at any time, text STOP to 97678 (WPOST) We are also now accepting subscriptions for a third alert covering breaking Washington Redskins news. To subscribe, text message REDSKINS to WPOST (97678). You'll begin receiving messages this spring. Among the other new mobile http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/mobile_update_news_alerts_and.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/mobile_update_news_alerts_and.html Content Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:35:10 -0500 washingtonpost.com and the Washington Post Young Journalists Development Program are now enabling local high school journalists to put their school newspapers online, free of charge. Our goal is to create a thriving virtual community for high school journalists and their peers, a place where students and other washingtonpost.com readers can see what schools are writing and comment on their work. High-schoolers, with the aid of faculty advisors, use easily accessible blog software to publish articles and photos to a washingtonpost.com server. The blogs can be updated from any computer at any time, allowing student journalists the freedom to post stories outside of their traditional publication schedule. We are launching the new feature in collaboration with three local high schools - located in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, respectively - and are actively recruiting more participants. The program is open to public and private high schools in The Post's circulation area. For http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/high_school_newspapers_on_wash.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/02/high_school_newspapers_on_wash.html Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:04:03 -0500 Travel writers are a naturally restless bunch. Sitting behind a desk as a nine-to-fiver runs counter to their Marco Polo instincts of discovery. So it's no wonder that the Post's Travel staff jumped at the chance to explore new territory, this time globetrotting on the Web. Travel Log, our newest blog, shoved off Wednesday, Jan. 17 and informs readers on everything from the latest industry news and breaking deals to stories from their trips to Parts Unknown, lending advice and tips along the way. The staff posts three to five times a day, Monday through Friday, so before booking that next vacation or business trip, visit Travel Log. Happy trails, Christian Pelusi Travel Producer http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/01/travel_section_launches_new_bl_1.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/01/travel_section_launches_new_bl_1.html Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:46:50 -0500 washingtonpost.com launches a redesigned Politics section, with new blogs by highly regarded political commentators, more high-quality video and interactive features, an increased presence of breaking news and scoops, and databases on candidates, campaigns and records. "As a top destination for political news, we are always looking for ways to make the best online resource for political news and analysis even better," said Jim Brady, executive editor of washingtonpost.com. "With the 2008 race for the White House already underway, it is imperative we are ready to support the information needs of our readers, from the casual follower to the most devoted political junkies." Everyone, from passive observers to passionate political operatives, will be able to look to the Politics section for the latest news around the clock. According to Brady, "washingtonpost.com will be the place where news breaks, with more exclusive scoops from The Washington Post newsroom." Those hard news scoops http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/01/redesigned_politics_section_wi.html?nav=rss_blog http://blog.washingtonpost.com/washpostblog/2007/01/redesigned_politics_section_wi.html Wed, 24 Jan 2007 08:00:00 -0500